7. RESEARCH METHODS (Observation (Techniques and design))

Question 1

What is an observation in psychology?

Answer 1

An observation involves the researcher watching and recording behaviour, often after deciding on the exact behaviours they want to study and categorizing them into behavioural categories.

Question 2

What is the difference between controlled and naturalistic observations?

Answer 2

• Controlled Observation: Behaviour is observed in a controlled environment where extraneous variables are manipulated.
• Naturalistic Observation: Behaviour is observed in a natural environment, without intervention or manipulation by the researcher.

Question 3

What is an advantage of controlled observations?

Answer 3

Control over extraneous variables: The researcher manipulates the environment, which increases internal validity and reduces confounding factors.

Question 4

What is a limitation of controlled observations?

Answer 4

Low ecological validity: The artificial setting may not reflect real-life situations, which reduces the generalizability of the findings.

Question 5

What is an advantage of naturalistic observations?

Answer 5

High ecological validity: Observations are conducted in natural settings, so the behaviour observed is more likely to be typical and natural.

Question 6

What is a limitation of naturalistic observations?

Answer 6

Low control over extraneous variables: As the environment is uncontrolled, it is harder to isolate specific causes of behaviour, reducing internal validity

Question 7

What is the difference between covert and overt observations?

Answer 7

• Overt Observation: The observer is visible, and participants are aware they are being observed.
• Covert Observation: The observer is hidden, and participants are unaware they are being observed.

Question 8

What is an advantage of overt observations?

Answer 8

Ethical: Participants can give informed consent and are fully debriefed, making the study more ethical.

Question 9

What is a limitation of overt observations?

Answer 9

Demand characteristics: Participants may alter their behaviour because they know they are being observed, affecting the internal validity of the study.

Question 10

What is an advantage of covert observations?

Answer 10

No demand characteristics: Participants do not know they are being observed, so their behaviour is less likely to be influenced by the observer, improving internal validity.

Question 11

What is a limitation of covert observations?

Answer 11

Ethical issues: Participants cannot give informed consent, and they may not be fully debriefed, which can make the study unethical.

Question 12

What is the difference between participant and non-participant observations?

Answer 12

• Participant Observation: The researcher becomes part of the group they are studying.
• Non-Participant Observation: The researcher remains outside the group and does not become involved.

Question 13

What is an advantage of participant observations?

Answer 13

Increased insight: The researcher experiences the situation first-hand, which can provide deeper understanding of the group’s behaviour.

Question 14

What is a limitation of participant observations?

Answer 14

Researcher bias: The researcher may become too involved in the group, losing objectivity and affecting the internal validity of the study.

Question 15

What is an advantage of non-participant observations?

Answer 15

Objectivity: The researcher remains detached from the group, making it easier to observe behaviour without bias or interference.

Question 16

What is a limitation of non-participant observations?

Answer 16

Decreased insight: The researcher may miss important subtleties of the group’s behaviour because they are not directly involved.

Question 17

What is the purpose of behavioural categories in observational research?

Answer 17

Behavioural categories help operationalize the behaviours being studied, allowing for clear, objective measurement and recording of specific behaviours.

Question 18

What is a strength of using behavioural categories in observational research?

Answer 18

Clarity and objectivity: Categories help focus the study, making data collection more structured and reliable.

Question 19

What is a weakness of using behavioural categories in observational research?

Answer 19

Arbitrary distinctions: The categories may be too artificial or miss certain forms of behaviour, which can reduce the internal validity of the findings.

Question 20

What is event sampling?

Answer 20

Event sampling involves observing and recording a specific behaviour every time it occurs, which is useful for infrequent behaviours.

Question 21

What is a strength of event sampling?

Answer 21

Increased validity: All instances of the targeted behaviour are recorded, providing a more comprehensive data set.

Question 22

What is a limitation of event sampling?

Answer 22

Overload: If too many events occur at once, the researcher may struggle to record everything accurately, reducing the representativeness of the data.

Question 23

What is time sampling?

Answer 23

Time sampling involves recording behaviour at specific time intervals (e.g., every 5 minutes), which helps to manage large amounts of data.

Question 24

What is a strength of time sampling?

Answer 24

Manageable data collection: It allows the researcher to focus on specific time periods, ensuring data collection is practical and manageable.

Question 25

What is a limitation of time sampling?

Answer 25

Missed behaviours: Behaviours that occur outside the sampled intervals may be missed, reducing the validity of the data.

Question 26

What is inter-rater reliability in observational research?

Answer 26

Inter-rater reliability involves checking the consistency of observations between multiple observers. If the results are similar, the observations are deemed reliable.

Question 27

How can inter-rater reliability be improved?

Answer 27

By conducting a pilot study, using clear and well-defined behavioural categories, and correlating the observations of different raters to check consistency.